Persona ?: Universal
by Krika1119
Summary: The world can have ugly truths, hidden by clever deceits. And how far would you go to find the truth behind everything? Even if that truth involves the souls of humanity?
1. It all Begins

**Krika: Hey guys, welcome to Persona ?: Universal. And the "?" basically means that the main character of this story has no idea what the hell is going on and just rolls with it. Enjoy! (This is just me screwing around because I couldn't think of anything good to say. There's actual plot that's hard to explain)**

* * *

My name's Kamui Tatsumi, and I'm a high school student. I lived a relatively quiet life, but then things got flipped upside down for me...and it started with a weird dream...

I was walking on a dark road filled with fog, not even knowing where I was or how I ended up there. Of course...all dreams end up that way in the beginning, but this dream felt...surreal. Sorry, should probably explain what I look like. I've got a pretty average build, and I normally wear a blue hoodie with a black button up shirt underneath with blue jeans and black running shoes in casual situations. I have black hair that's a bit unkempt with dark blue eyes. I stopped walking and just looked around. But...there is something else I should say...

"Graaah! What the hell! Where the hell am I?!" I have...a bit of a short fuse. I'm normally pretty serious all the time, and it doesn't help that I don't have many friends. Probably because of how frequently I moved. Hard to have long time friends...or even a girlfriend for that matter. But I'm currently living in Inuyama in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan. In fact it's supposed to be permanent as long as my dad doesn't end up getting a new job location.

"So confused..." A voice spoke out, making me look around in a panic, ready for a fight.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" I said in frustration.

"If you can't figure out your feelings, you'll never find a truth," The voice spoke, and a shadowy figure appeared in front of me.

"What was that?" I said, growing annoyed.

"You'll find out the meaning of these words soon enough..." The figure said before disappearing, and the world fading along with it...

* * *

I woke up in my room, sitting up, "What the hell was that...?" I look outside my window, "Well...I got the weekend to think it over"

 **7/22/17 Saturday Chances of Rain**

I was out walking, looking at my phone and I then checked the news and stopped, "What the...? Another accident? That's been happening a lot lately"

"Heeeeyyy! Kamui!" A girl's voice called out to me, making me turn.

"Kaguya?" I said in surprise.

Kaguya Nazukuya, a classmate of mine and the only friend I've made since I've been in Inuyama. She had long blonde hair with some pink highlights. She wore a pink sweatshirt with black shorts and pink and black shoes. "Hey man! What's up?!"

"Thought you'd be at your parent's shop or something," I said to her.

"Well, I have the weekend off. Anyway, have you heard? Another accident happened. Some truck driver went crazy and caused a huge accident," Kaguya said, and I showed her my phone.

"No crap. It's headline news all over 'effin Inuyama," I said bluntly.

"Wonder what's causing them? It sounds like a mystery," Kaguya said, crossing her arms.

"A mystery? Seriously? I think you're overthinking things," I said to her.

"Ah, don't be like that. Anyway, come on, let's check out this awesome ramen shop that just got set up," Kaguya offered.

"Well...I got nothing else to do. So why the hell not?" I said, shrugging before Kaguya grabbed my arm and brought me over to the shop, "Hey, come on, you can't just..." I stopped and held my head as a headache started, making Kaguya stop and look at me.

"Huh? Hey...you feeling alright Kamui?" Kaguya asked me.

"Yeah...just some random headache. Probably nothing," I reassured her.

"If you say so," Kaguya said and we went inside and ordered some ramen.

"Hey, gotta say this is great," I said, enjoying my ramen.

"Right? Best ramen in all of Inuyama if I had to guess!" Kaguya said excitedly.

I smiled a little and continued to eat and noticed a shady looking guy looking at us from the corner of my eye. I just chose to ignore him and after me and Kaguya got done eating, we walked around the town for a bit longer before we headed back home, "That guy was freaky looking...but I'm sure he's some weird dude..." I said to myself, but couldn't help but stop and glance back, seeing that the guy I saw was following Kaguya, "God dammit..." I quickly ran back towards the two, aiming to stop the guy from doing anything to my friend.

Kaguya was humming a bit, but immediately stopped and yelped in shock when the mystery guy grabbed her arm, "What the?!"

"You're coming with me, girl!" The guy shouted.

"Hey! Let me go!" Kaguya shouted, trying to break free.

"Get the hell away from her!" I shouted, drop kicking the freak before quickly grabbing his arm and swinging him down onto the ground and pinning him and holding his arms behind his back, "Thought you could get away with that, you freaking perv?!"

"Kamui!" Kaguya said in delight.

"Call the cops! I'll hold this guy for as long as I can!" I said, Kaguya immediately getting to that, but just a minute before they got here, the creep managed to break free and put a knife into my arm before getting away, "Gah! Shit!"

"Oh no!" Kaguya said in worry and tended to me, helping me bandage up the wound and the police managed to get here and we explained the situation.

"The guy was walking hunched over, and had some black hair that was messy beyond belief, but I wasn't able to get a good look at his face," I explained to the officer.

"I see. We've been getting reports of the same person everywhere. But what you did was reckless, kid. Next time, leave it to the police," The officer said to me.

I got an annoyed smirk and my brow twitched _So what?! I should've LET that guy do what he wanted with Kaguya until you came?!_

"We'll be more careful, sir," Kaguya said.

"Alright then. Take care then," The officer said before leaving.

"Shit head...can't tell me how to defend my friends," I mumbled under my breath before sighing and look at her, "Come on Kaguya, I'll walk you home"

After getting Kaguya home, I started heading back to my own house, wondering how in the hell I was going to explain to my parents how I got a stab wound. But as I was almost to my house, my phone started ringing, and I checked to see that it was an unknown caller, but curiosity got me and I picked up.

"Hello?" I said before getting wracked with a headache.

"I am thou. Thou art I. The truth cannot be so easily seen. You must reach out for it and grasp it," a voice said, and sounded like it was going to continue until I dropped my phone, accidentally ending the call as I got over the headache.

"What the...hell was that...?" I said to myself before picking up my phone and was shocked, "What the...? The number was wiped from the call history? How'd that happen?"

I stood there for a moment before sighing and shaking my head, shutting my phone and putting it back into my pocket, getting to my house and finding that both my mom and dad weren't home yet.

"Guess they're coming home late..." I said and sighed before taking my hoodie and shirt off and began cleaning off the blood and stitching the hole in my jacket close and I started getting my room cleaned up and head to a shrine we had in the house and opened it, showing some memorial items and a picture of a young girl with brown hair and blue eyes. This was my younger sister, Kristen. She died in a freak accident about two months ago. No one knows how it happened, and my parents pretty much gave up searching for answers. But I haven't. And I'm not giving up anytime soon. "Don't worry Kristen...I'll figure out what happened no matter what"

After having dinner by myself, I headed to bed, trying to get some sleep...but of course, how can you sleep well when you're still thinking of a loved one who died just a couple months ago? My dreams are filled with nothing but confusions. Would things be different if I was in her place instead? Or if anyone could stop it from happening? These were the thoughts that kept coming to me every night that I couldn't find any answers. I hardly talked to anyone about this besides Kaguya. I'm a guy with a temper, but when I told her about it, I pretty much broke down into tears. I loved my sister. So much that if that accident was something random, I'll deal with the one who took an innocent life away!

* * *

 **7/23/17 Sunday Rain all Day**

The next day I wasn't really feeling like going anywhere special. So I grabbed my umbrella and decided to hang out at Ishizukuri Park. But I'm sure you're thinking I'm some kind of weirdo going to a park while it's raining. But some people don't really see me weird for that. Like Kaguya. She's the only friend I made since I was enrolled in my current school, Seishin High School. The other students call me "Kamui the Bomb" due to my temper. But Kaguya knows I have a softer side of myself. Evident by me saving her from that pervert yesterday. I smiled a little, "Kaguya...just what the hell do you see in a guy like me? I just think everything in the world is a pain in the ass"

When the rain started to pick up, I figured it'd be a good time to head home. But now it's time for that part I told you guys about...the day that my life changed forever. I was walking home after taking the train as far as it would go until I heard a scream. And I immediately knew who it was, "Kaguya!" dropping my umbrella, I ran towards the source of the noise, finding the same guy from yesterday cornering Kaguya.

"Your friend isn't here to save you this time! And even if he did get here, things will play out differently!" the guy said in a sinister tone, a strange black and red aura surrounding him. But I didn't care. This guy was going to hurt the only friend I have in this damn city! I decided to try and catch him off guard again, but it was like he already knew I was here and grabbed my leg before throwing me into a wall.

"Kamui!" Kaguya shouted in fear, tears in her eyes.

"Gah...dammit, that hurt..." I said, getting up and glaring at the man.

"Hahahaha! Man! You're like some typical hero! Always getting into things you really shouldn't! Well let me tell you something, brat..." He rose his head and had glowing red eyes, his pupils turned into Xs, and he had a psychotic look on his face, "Sometimes the hero doesn't always live to see the end!" and then...it was like time stopped all around us. The rain stopped and was floating midair, like something from an anime or manga before the sky turned blood red and the clouds turned black.

"What the hell...is this...?" I said, freaking out from what was happening until I saw another guy walk from behind the creep, and it looked exactly like him! Only that this one had regular eyes that were yellow in color.

"Welcome...to the World of Chaos! You better pray to whatever god you believe in, because you'll die here and now!" the copy said sadistically before transforming into some hideous monster that looked like some kind of pig man, making my eyes widen in shock.

"What the hell?! What kind of shit is this?!" I said, taking a step back.

"Gross! What is that thing?!" Kaguya said in disgust and fear.

"Hahaha! Time to put you in your place, brat!" The giant pig said, swatting me away like I was nothing, making me bounce against a wall harshly and collapse to the ground, and of course I'm in some serious freaking pain!

"Kamui! No!" Kaguya said, trying to get to me, but got picked up by the pig, who had a pervy blush and looking over Kaguya.

"Forget that boy, pretty girl. I'll treat you right," the pig man said to her, making her squirm in fear.

"Get...the hell away from her...!" I said in anger, before noticing my phone vibrating, yet no noise coming from it. I picked it up and picked up the call, the same voice from before.

"Thine eyes have now opened to the truth. The darkness within the wicked can destroy many lives. Are you going to let another life be claimed?" the voice asked me.

"Hell no I'm not...Kaguya, she's...she's my closest friend!" I answered, standing up.

"Then it is settled," The voice said and for some reason...I knew what to do next.

I narrowed my eyes and dialed a number that I was unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar with at the same time before I held my phone up to my ear, "Per...so...na," I closed my phone and a blue aura burst around me, catching the attention of the pig man.

"What the hell...? What are you doing now, brat?" the monster said, getting irritated.

Suddenly a figure appeared above me. It was humanoid and was wearing a uniform that had dress pants and long sleeved shirts with black gloves and shoes, with the uniform being black as well. But armor was seen on the arms, legs and chest and were blue in color, along with a helmet that looked like a dragon, and this figure was holding a katana that had a blue blade, and piercing blue eyes can be seen coming from the visor opening of the helmet, "Let's tear this guy to shreds...Ryujin!"

* * *

 **Krika: And cliffhanger! Haha! Didn't expect this now did ya? But don't worry, this fight will continue and conclude in the next chapter. Stay tuned!**


	2. More Questions than Answers

**Krika: Hello again guys. Welcome back to Persona ?: Universal. This will begin right where we left off. And some of you who read the first chapter were thinking "Where the hell is Igor and the person who's with him? Where's the Velvet Room?". Well don't you worry. We'll get to that in this chapter.**

 **"Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light" - George Washington**

* * *

I have no idea what's happening...or even why...but who gives a damn?! I got the power to fight this guy now! "Alright...your move, fat freak!" I said, grinning a bit.

The pig man tossed Kaguya aside, pissing me off even more, "I don't know what sort of trick this is...but you're going to regret standing in my way!"

I grinned as Ryujin, my Persona, a power I would soon learn more about, flew past me and engaged the monster, "Hey, I'll gladly stand in the way of scum like you! So you better be ready, 'cause I'm going to take out the literally ugly truth of yourself!"

Ryujin held his sword at his hip and quickly sliced at the porker, making him squeal in pain like the pig he is, and then I noticed the rain started to slowly move again as Ryujin continued to fight.

"Okay, okay. This can work!" I said, somehow knowing how my Persona works in terms of combat. "Let's try this out!"

Ryujin held his sword up before water wrapped around it, making it appear like a giant blade of water before swinging it down on the monster, dealing a lot more damage than before. And that strike started to lessen the weird distortion that was happening around me and Kaguya. "Damned brat! I'll kill you!" The pig monster said, trying to lunge at me, but Ryujin appeared in front of him and sliced down the middle, making him stop and the pervert clutched his head and screamed in pain as the monster dissolved into a weird black and red goo before that disappeared and the man collapsed unconscious. It was also at this moment that Ryujin disappeared as well, and I felt faint and fell, but I felt someone catch me, followed by the feeling of rain on me. I looked up and saw Kaguya, tears in her eyes...but she was smiling.

"Thank god you're okay! But I shouldn't expect anything less from my hero!" she said, hugging me tightly.

I smiled a bit and wrapped my arms around her, making sure to grab her umbrella so we wouldn't get anymore wet, "Hey...I'll always be there for you. If anyone is causing you trouble, you call me, okay?"

"Well, I don't want to rely on you. Maybe I should take those martial arts classes that you're taking. Just so I can better defend myself," Kaguya said and we separated from the hug.

I laugh a bit before my phone rang and I checked it, having received a text from an unknown number and I opened it, the guy's face showing up as a picture and his info showed up, "Shinra Sakamoto...multiple counts of sexual assault towards young women...this guy has a criminal record, huh...? But this doesn't explain shit about what the hell all that creepy stuff! Not even that thing I called out to help me fight!" I said in frustration and confusion.

"Well...whatever happened, let's keep it between us or something. I think everyone would call us insane for telling them what happened. But we'll figure this out together," Kaguya said to me.

I nodded and called the cops, who then took the pervert away, after that, me and Kaguya went back home to recover from what happened. After I got home, I decided to head up to my room and plop down onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling before I somehow managed to fall asleep, not knowing the weird dream I was about to have...

* * *

I found myself in a blue chair in a room with an equal shade of blue, but what was weird was that the room was covered in a totally thick fog, and I could barely see a foot in front of me. "Where the hell...am I?"

"Welcome...to the Velvet Room," a man's voice said, snapping my attention to a creepy old dude with a ridiculously long nose, "You are in a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. And only those who have signed a contract may enter this place"

"Um...and you are...?" I said, confused of who this person was.

"I am Igor, and the young man behind you is Mikado, a resident of this place such as me," Igor said, making me look behind me and see a guy looking no older than me with platinum blonde hair that was a bit unruly and sharp, yellow eyes. He wore an outfit that made him look like a butler, with it being blue, black and gold in color.

"A pleasure to meet you," Mikado said, bowing a little.

"Uh...hi. Anyway, what are you talking about? What contract?" I asked Igor.

"When you received a mysterious call, you answered it with no hesitation. That was when you made your contract. Mikado?" Igor explained, and looked at his assitant, who pulled out a blue phone and my phone rang and I checked it and I got a text from him, and I opened it to see the Fool Tarot Card.

"A...Tarot Card?" I said in confusion.

"It is the Fool Arcana, otherwise known as the Wild Card. Your Arcana. Just like the number zero, it's full of infinite possibilities," Mikado explained, moving to stand next to Igor, "As are you, Kamui Tatsumi"

"You have awakened a newfound power in yourself, and it is called Persona. It is the other you, a mask that you wear to protect yourself from the harsh world of society," Igor explained to me.

"Ryujin...so that's what that thing was? A Persona?" I asked.

"Yes. Born from your Arcana. It is your Persona, and yours alone," Mikado said.

"My Persona..." I said, thinking back to what I did with Ryujin.

"Fitting since Ryujin, god of the sea, has been known to have a bit of a temper. Such as with the legend of how the jellyfish came to be with no bones," Mikado bluntly said.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" I said in anger.

"But he also has a caring side. As shown when you protected your friend," Mikado added, making me chill out almost instantly.

"Well...Kaguya is close to me. The only friend I have in school to be honest. She...well, she's the only one I really opened up to about my little sister," I said to him.

"And she is a close bond. And allowed you to immediately gain another Arcana ahead of time," Mikado mentioned.

"Another Arcana? Which one?" I asked, and I got my answer when I received another text from him and another Tarot card appeared.

"The Lovers Arcana. Fitting for how upbeat and caring she can be. Continue making bonds and you can gain more Arcana," Mikado explained.

"Yeah...but what's the point if I already have Ryujin?" I asked.

"As the Wild Card of this world, you're capable of wielding more than one Persona. It's a power that gifted people like you are capable of," Igor explained.

"Wait...'this world'? What do you mean?" I asked, confused at that statement.

"There exist many worlds, filled with Persona Users such as yourself. And each one has one Wild Card each. But there are also multiple versions of you, possibly even different personalities than you. But enough about that. We must now explain to what you experienced recently," Mikado said.

"You mean...that freaky pig monster? Was that a Persona or something?" I asked.

"No. It's called a Shadow, a being created from the deepest, negative emotions of a human. Personas are similar to Shadows, but they're the inner selves of those that are tamed and controlled. But the change of the world around you that you witnessed is what happens when you confront someone consumed by the darkness within themselves. Lesser Shadows can appear as well in this state as well," Igor explained.

"I see...so that thing was the inner self of that perv. So there are more people like this?" I asked.

"Of course. Though oddly enough it's focused in Japan. Same goes for the other worlds," Mikado said.

"That's...odd...guess because of how superstitious it is?" I said, not getting at all as to why Japan was the main focus of this.

"No clue. But now you currently have the power to seek the truth. How you use the power is up to you entirely," Mikado said.

"Understood," I said, nodding.

"Now I believe our time is up here, but do be careful about what goes on in your world," Igor said and a blue key floated in front of me, "But take this. This will allow you to continue to enter this place. Don't lose it"

I grabbed it and put it in my pocket, the room beginning to fade away as I began to wake up.

* * *

I found myself back in my room again, and I sighed and looked at my phone, and of course the Arcanas didn't show up, "Guess it was a weird dream. But actually real. But now...I have a lot more questions than answers now..."

* * *

 **Krika: I know this chapter was pretty short compared to the last one. But don't worry, more will be coming soon! I assure you. In fact...next chapter will involve Kaguya being in the spotlight! Stay tuned!**


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